Andevermoreandmoreswiftlywasthewaterrising，andwashingawaysoilfromthebank，andspreadingathicksedimentoverthedarkbluesurfaceoftheriver。Andasitdidso，thereresoundedintheairastrangenoiseasofchewingandchamping，anoiseasthoughsomehugewildanimalweremasticating，andlickingitselfwithitsgreatlongtongue。
Andstilltherecontinuedtocomefromthetownthemelancholy，distance-softened，sweet-tonedsongofthebells。
Presently，thebrothersDiatlovappeareddescendingfromthehillwithbottlesintheirhands，andsportinglikeacoupleofjoyouspuppies，whiletointerceptthemtherecouldbeseenadvancingalongthebankoftheriveragrey-coatedpolicesergeantandtwoblack-coatedconstables。
“0hLord！“groanedOssipasherubbedhisknee。
Asforthetownsfolk，theyhadnoloveforthepolice，sohastenedtowithdrawtoalittledistance，wheretheysilentlyawaitedtheofficers’approach。Beforelongthesergeant，alittle，witheredsortofafellowwithdiminutivefeaturesandasandy，stubbymoustache，calledoutingruff，stern，hoarse，labouredaccents:
“Sohereyouare，yourascals！“
Ossipprisedhimselfupfromthegroundwithhiselbow，andsaidhurriedly:
“ItwasIthatcontrivedtheideaofthething，yourExcellency；but，prayletmeoffinhonourofthefestival。“
“Whatdoyousay，you——？“thesergeantbegan，buthisblusterwaslostamidtheswiftflowofOssip’sfurtherconciliatorywords。
“Wearefolkofthistown，“Ossipcontinued，“whotonightfoundourselvesstrandedonthefurtherbank，withnothingtobuybreadwith，eventhoughthedayaftertomorrowwillbeChrist’sday，thedaywhenChristianslikeourselveswishtocleanthemselvesupalittle，andtogotochurch。SoIsaidtomymates，’Beoffwithyou，mygoodfellows，andmayGodsendthatnomishapbefallyou！’AndforthispresumptuousnessofmineIhavebeenpunishedalready，for，asyoucansee，haveasgoodasbrokenmyleg。“
“Yes，“ejaculatedthesergeantgrimly。“Butifyouhadbeendrowned，whatthen？“
Ossipsighedwearily。
“Whatthen，doyousay，yourExcellency？Why，then，nothing，withyourpermission。“
Thisledtheofficertostartrailingattheculprit，whilethecrowdlistenedassilentlyandattentivelyasthoughhehadbeensayingsomethingworthytobeheardandheeded，ratherthanfoullyandcynicallymiscallingtheirmothers。
Lastly，ournameshavingbeennoted，thepolicewithdrew，whileeachofusdrankadramofvodkaandtherebygainedameasureofwarmthandcomfort，andthenbegantomakeforourseveralhomes。Ossipfollowedthepolicewithderisiveeyes；whereafter，heleapttohisfeetwithanimble，adroitmovement，andcrossedhimselfwithpunctiliouspiety。
“That’sallaboutit，thankGod！“heexclaimed。
“What？“sniggeredBoev，nowbothdisillusionedandastonished。
“Doyoureallymeantosaythatthatlegofyoursisbetteralready？Ordoyoumeanthatitneverwasinjuredatall？“
“Ah！SoyouwishthatitHADbeeninjured，eh？“
“TherascalofaPetrushka！“theotherexclaimed。
“Now，“commandedOssip，“doallofyoubeoff，mates。“Andwiththathepulledhiswetcapontohishead。
Iaccompaniedhim——walkingalittlebehindtherest。Ashelimpedalong，hesaidinanundertone-saidkindly——andasthoughhewerecommunicatingasecretknownonlytohimself:
“Whatsoeveronemaydo，andwhithersoeveronemayturn，onewillfindthatlifecannotbelivedwithoutameasureoffraudanddeceit。ForthatiswhatlifeIS，Makarei，thedevilflyawaywithit！……Isupposeyou’remakingforthehill？Well，I’llkeepyoucompany。“
Darknesshadfallen，butatacertainspotsomeredandyellowlamps，lampsthebeamsofwhichseemedtobesaying，“Comeuphither！“wereshiningthroughtheobscurity。
Meanwhile，asweproceededinthedirectionofthebellsthatwereringingonthehill，rivuletsofwaterflowedwithamurmurunderourfeet，andOssip’skindlyvoicekeptminglingwiththeirsound。
“See，“hecontinued，“howeasilyIbefooledthatsergeant！
Thatishowthingshavetobedone，Makarei——onehastokeepfolkfromknowingone’sbusiness，yettomakethemthinkthattheyarethechiefpersonsconcerned，andthepersonswhosewithasputthecaponthewhole。“
YetasIlistenedtohisspeech，whilesupportinghissteps，I
couldmakelittleofit。
NordidIcaretomakeverymuchofit，forIwasofasimpleandeasygoingnature。AndthoughatthemomentIcouldnothavetoldwhetherIreallylikedOssip，Iwouldstillhavefollowedhisleadinanydirection——yes，evenacrosstheriveragain，thoughtheicehadbeengivingwaybeneathme。
Andasweproceeded，andthebellsechoedandre-echoed，I
thoughttomyselfwithaspasmofjoy:
“Ah，manytimesmayIthuswalktogreetthespring！“
WhileOssipsaidwithasigh:
“Thehumansoulisawingedthing。Eveninsleepitflies。“
Awingedthing？Yes，andathingofwonder。
TheplacewhereIfirstsawhimwasatavernwherein，ensconcedinthechimney-corner，andfacingatable，hewasexclaimingstutteringly，“Oh，Iknowthetruthaboutyouall！Yes，Iknowthetruthaboutyou！“whilestandinginasemicircleinfrontofhim，andunconsciouslyrenderinghimmoreandmoreexcitedwiththeirsarcasticinterpolations，weresometradesmenofthesuperiorsort——fiveinnumber。Oneofthemremarkedindifferently:
“HowshouldyouNOTknowthetruthaboutus，seeingthatyoudonothingbutslanderus？“
Shabby，infactinrags，Gubinatthatmomentremindedmeofahomelessdogwhich，havingstrayedintoastrangestreet，hasfounditselfheldupbyabandofdogsofsuperiorstrength，and，seizedwithnervousness，issittingbackonitshaunchesandsweepingthedustwithitstail；and，withgrowls，andoccasionalbaringsofitsfangs，andsundrybarkings，attemptingnowtointimidateitsadversaries，andnowtoconciliatethem。
Meanwhile，havingperceivedthestranger’shelplessnessandinsignificance，thenativepackisbeginningtomoderateitsattitude，intheconvictionthat，thoughcontinuedmaintenanceofdignityisimperative，itisnotworthwhiletopickaquarrelsolongasanoccasionalyelpbeventedinthestranger’sface。
“Towhomareyouofanyuse？“oneofthetradesmenatlengthinquired。
“Notamanofusbutmaybeofuse。“
“Towhom，then？“……
Ihadlongsincegrownfamiliarwithtaverndisputesconcerningverities，andnotinfrequentlyseenthosedisputesdevelopintoopenbrawls；butneverhadIpermittedmyselftobedrawnintotheirtoils，ortobesetwanderingamidtheirtangleslikeablindmannegotiatinganumberofhillocks。Moreover，justbeforethisencounterwithGubin，Ihadarrivedatadimsurmisethatwhensuchdifferenceswerecarriedtothepointofmadnessandbloodshed。Really，theyconstitutedanexpressionoftheunmeaning，hopeless，melancholylifethatislivedinthewilderandmoreremotedistrictsofRussia——ofthelifethatislivedonswampybanksofdingyrivers，andinoursmallerandmoreGod-forgottentowns。Foritwouldseemthatinsuchplacesmenhavenothingtolookfor，noranyknowledgeofhowtolookforanything；wherefore，theybrawlandshoutinvainattemptstodissipatedespondency……
ImyselfwassittingnearGubin，butontheothersideofthetable。Yet，thiswasnotbecausehisoutburstsandthetradesmen’sretortstheretowereapleasuretolistento，sincetomeboththeoneandtheotherseemedaboutasfutileasbeatingtheair。
“TowhomareYOUofuse？“
“Tohimselfeverymancanbeuseful。“
“Butwhatgoodcanonedooneself？“……
Thewindowsofthetavernwereopen，whileinthependent，undulatingcloudofbluesmokethattheflamesofthelampsemitted，thoselampslookedlikesomanyyellowpitchersfloatingamidthewatersofastagnantpond。OutofdoorstherewasbroodingthequietofanAugustnight，andnotarustle，notawhisperwastheretobeheard。Hence，asnumbedwithmelancholy，IgazedattheinkyheavensandlimpidstarsIthoughttomyself:
“Surely，neverweretheskyandthestarsmeanttolookdownuponalifelikethis，alifelikethis？“